For many, it's simply the cocktail. The Dry Martini has just three elements — gin, dry vermouth and a garnish — and nowhere to hide: no fruit juice to mask it, no sugar to soften it. That's exactly why it's the toughest test a gin can face, and why it has been served for over a century as a symbol of essential elegance.
In this guide you'll find the official IBA recipe, the correct measures, the right method (which is not James Bond's) and every variation worth knowing.
The official IBA recipe
The IBA (International Bartenders Association) codifies the Dry Martini with precise measures and an equally precise method.
- 60 ml gin
- 10 ml dry vermouth
- Garnish: lemon peel or green olive
The ratio is therefore 6:1 in favour of the gin: a bold, bone-dry Martini in which the vermouth doesn't mask but lengthens and rounds. It's served ice-cold, in a chilled Martini glass, strictly without ice in the glass.
How to make it, step by step
- Chill the glass. Fill it with ice and water while you prepare everything else, then tip it out before pouring. A warm glass is the first mistake.
- Pour gin and vermouth into the mixing glass already full of ice.
- Stir with the bar spoon for 20–30 seconds, in a smooth, continuous motion. The aim is to chill and dilute just enough, without folding in air.
- Strain into the chilled glass with the strainer.
- Garnish. If you choose lemon peel, express its essential oils over the surface of the drink and wipe it around the rim before dropping it in. If you choose the olive, spear it on a pick and lower it in.
Stirred, not shaken
James Bond's line — "shaken, not stirred" — has lodged itself in the collective imagination, but technically it's the exact opposite of what the classic recipe calls for. The Dry Martini should be stirred, not shaken.
The reason is concrete: shaking a drink made entirely of clear spirits turns it cloudy, because of the tiny air bubbles and ice shards, and it ruins the silky texture. Stirring, by contrast, chills and dilutes while keeping the drink crystal-clear and velvety. You shake when there are juices, syrups or egg white to emulsify: here there are none.
How much vermouth: dry, wet, extra dry
The amount of vermouth is the lever you use to make the Martini your own. The IBA's 6:1 is an excellent starting point, but there's a whole scale:
- Wet Martini: more vermouth, around 3:1. Softer, more aromatic, good for those new to the drink.
- Dry Martini: the classic, around 6:1.
- Extra Dry Martini: just a whisper of vermouth, only enough to perfume the mixing glass. Some bartenders pour it and tip it straight out, leaving only the residue.
- 50:50: equal parts gin and vermouth. An older school, back in fashion today, far more delicate.
There's no "correct" version: there's the one you prefer. But the quality of the gin matters more the drier the Martini gets.
Gin or vodka?
The Martini was born with gin. The vodka version is far later and gives a more neutral drink, played entirely on texture and temperature, without the botanical backbone of juniper and citrus. If you want to really understand what changes between the two spirits, we cover it in our guide on the difference between gin and vodka.
For a Martini with character, gin remains the natural choice: it's the gin that gives the drink its aromatic profile, and it's exactly why the Dry Martini is the best way to judge a gin.
Olive or lemon twist
The garnish isn't an aesthetic detail: it changes the drink.
- Lemon twist: the essential oils expressed over the surface add freshness and citrus lift. It brings out bright, Mediterranean gins.
- Green olive: introduces a saline, slightly savoury note that makes the drink drier and more "aperitivo".
If instead of the olive you use a pickled cocktail onion, the drink changes name and becomes a Gibson. Same recipe, different garnish.
The variations worth knowing
- Dirty Martini: with a splash of olive brine added. Deliberately cloudy, savoury, divisive.
- Gibson: the Dry Martini garnished with a cocktail onion instead of olive or lemon.
- Perfect Martini: half dry vermouth, half sweet vermouth, for a rounder balance.
- Vesper: James Bond's creation in Casino Royale, with gin, vodka and Lillet Blanc. A drink in its own right, stronger and more aromatic.
To widen your repertoire, take a look at our guide to iconic gin cocktails, or the Negroni recipe.
The Dry Martini with GIN NIRO
The Dry Martini lays the gin bare, so it rewards spirits with a clean, recognisable profile. GIN NIRO, built around Sicilian Zibibbo from an island of volcanic origin, brings a citrus brightness and a floral note to the glass that light up with a lemon twist.
The tip: try a 6:1 with a quality dry vermouth, a well-chilled glass and a lemon peel expressed over the top. The gin's Mediterranean freshness finds here the cleanest possible stage.
Discover the gin to put to the test in the driest Martini: buy GIN NIRO, the artisanal Zibibbo gin.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Dry Martini shaken or stirred? Stirred. Shaking turns a drink of clear spirits cloudy; stirring keeps it crystal-clear and velvety. Bond's line is iconic but technically wrong.
How much vermouth goes in? In the IBA recipe the ratio is 6:1, i.e. 60 ml gin and 10 ml dry vermouth. You can make it softer (wet, 3:1) or drier (extra dry, just a whisper).
Gin or vodka? The Martini was born with gin, which gives it its aromatic profile. Vodka makes a more neutral version. For a drink with character, gin.
Olive or lemon twist? The twist adds citrus freshness and brings out Mediterranean gins; the olive gives a drier, saline note. With a cocktail onion, the drink becomes a Gibson.
What glass is used? The classic Martini glass, chilled before use. Served without ice in the glass.
